The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINeToN. March lsth. ISIS


Ere this letter reaches you the forty |
ninth congress will have expired, and |
I had as well write its obituary "a few |
hours in advance of its demise.
Many criticism and slurs and filings |
have been leveled at it during the two
brief years of its existence, and many
attempts have been made to show that
it has an unworthy record. But as
matter of factit makes much better
showing than any recent congress has
done, especially when it is remembered
that it was democratic in one branch
and republican in the other. and con-
sequently unequipped for ha rmonious
ann rapid progress.
One reason that it was constantly de-
rided and reviled as failure was be
cause eXtravagant promises were. made
for il and more was expected than
could be accomplished, where one house
was under the control of a vigorous and
alert opposition. The forty-seventh
congress was republican in both
branches and yet it did nothing that is
worthy of mention, while the little that
it did was done very badly.
The torty-ninth has enacted law
providing for the presidential success
sion; a law for silver certificates; law
reducing the fee for money orders;
law FORGETTING unearned land grants
and restoring about seventy-five mil
lion acres to the public domain open
| for actual settlers; a law in the interest
of the merchant marine; law Provid-
ing for valuable addition to the navy !;
| a law for a national library; law al
lotting lands in severalty to the in.
dams; the interstate commerce law; a
law establishing arbitration in labor
controversies and it redeemed trade
dollars and extended the free delivery
system.
While there is life there is hope, and
while am writing the iorty-ninth has
| three more hours to live. 1t is frantic
in its efforts to make the most of this
brief 6perlod OF grace, and bills are
rushing through rapidly. Ii is hoped
and expected that among them will be
the one changing Inauguration day
from the bleak, windy fourth of March
to the soft, balmy day that the Both Of
April brings. At this moment the re-
form measure has not passed. There
have been night sessions in both ends
of the capitol during the week and live
ly scenes have occurred in the house
through the wild efforts of members
wanting little bills through to catch the
speakers eye. 1t is amusing and even
pathetic to see the eagerness with
which members stand in their places
after morning prayer and wait for
Speaker Carlisle to finish laying before
the house the documents and personal
requests that accumulate on his desk
When he is through and his eye is
supposed to be abroad in the house,
the anxious members flourish bits OF
paper aloft in order to attract his glance
while occasionally one impatient mar
calls "Mr. Speaker" before the proper
time and then half hundred others
shout "Mr. Speaker, Mr.. Speaker" all
at once.
The speaker is imperturbable aud his
voice is always calm and steady, nc
matter how exciting his surroundings
At last evenings session score o.
mem bers rushed into the space in front
, of the clerks desk, waving their bills
wildly in the air, vociferOusly claimed
recognition. The confusion on the
floor, added to the buzz of conversation
in the galleries, which were filled u
their utmost capacity, was so great fol
time that business had to be sus
pended, and it was only by loud rap.
pings OF the gavel aud repeated appeals
to the members Ito preserve the pro-
prieties, assisted by the efforts of the
sergeant alarms and his deputies, tina
the speaker succeeded in restoring com
parative order.
The president is overwhelmed will
work, and remains at his desk during
greater portion OF the night, These ar,
the busiest days OF the year, If not o
his whole term. Congress must ad
[ journ at noon to-day, and any bills il
his hands undisposed OF at that tim,
must fail. For the past few days h
has had more than a hundred bills ly
ing before him most OF the time, tor a
fast as he could dispose of them other
| were brought in. Many of them re
quire close examination which con
, sumes much time.